sour cream coffee cake

This year my family decided to do something different than we usually do, and have an Easter brunch instead of dinner.  Naturally, I wanted to be in charge of the sweets and decided to make a coffee cake.  I found a recipe from Ina Garten and knew it would be a winner.  I have yet to make an Ina recipe that I didn't love and this was no exception.  

The recipe calls for over a cup of sour cream and while I used full-fat sour cream (because it was Easter and I think holidays call for full-fat sour cream), it would probably turn out fine with low-fat sour cream. It also calls for cake flour which, if you're not familiar with it, results in a lighter and fluffier cake with a tender crumb.  The cake has a cinnamon sugar and walnut streusel that not only runs through the middle of the cake, but also ends up as the topping in a tube pan, or the bottom crust if you use bundt pan.  Finally, it is drizzled with a maple icing that adds the perfect sweetness to the cake.  

We served it with a fresh fruit salad and sausage breakfast casserole and it made for a perfect Easter brunch.  This would also be a great treat to enjoy on a lazy Sunday morning with a hot cup of coffee and the Sunday newspaper.  


Sour Cream Coffee Cake
from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Parties!


Cake:
12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sour cream
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt


Streusel:
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, rinsed 


Glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp real maple syrup
1-2 tbsp milk


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.  If not using a non-stick bundt/tube pan, grease and flour the pan.  


In medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  
In large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and creamy, about 4-5 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla and sour cream.  With mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined.  


To make the streusel, place all ingredients except the walnuts in a small bowl and pinch with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in the walnuts.  


To assemble the cake, spoon half of the batter into the pan and even out with a spatula or knife.  Sprinkle 3/4 cup streusel, then spoon the rest of the batter into the pan.  Spread it evenly and top with the remaining streusel.  If you make this in a bundt pan, this streusel layer will be on the bottom, but if you make it in a tube pan, it will be on the top.  It didn't really matter to me, but if you want the streusel-topped look, make it in a tube pan.  Bake for 50-60 minutes.  I took mine out at 50 and it was perfectly done.  


Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes, then carefully flip the cake out onto a serving plate.  Whisk together the confectioners' sugar and maple syrup and add desired amount of milk to make the glaze thinner.  Drizzle glaze over the cake with a spoon.  Serve and enjoy!